Dee and I often discuss what it is that we like about the places we regularly go back to. We usually come to the conclusion that actually, when you get right down to it, the equation for producing a successful pub or restaurant is quite simple. (Of course, the theory is simple, actually doing it and getting it right is much more difficult, hence the vast numbers of pubs and bars closing down around the country!) We think it boils down to a combination of four basic things. I'm not putting them in any particular order, because they are all equally important.
We think it must be a nice place to be. Fairly basic requirement, you might think, but we have all wandered in to pubs that felt bare, old fashioned, run down, even hostile. Make it a place people actually want to visit, make it somewhere they want to come back to.
It must serve good quality, well kept beer. There doesn't need to be six or eight hand pumps on the bar, just two or three really good ales (local if possible) and a range of good lagers. A good choice of wines also helps.
It must do high quality food, nicely presented and well priced. You'll notice I don't say reasonably priced or cheap, there are pubs everywhere that do a thriving trade selling Sunday lunch for less than a fiver, but the truth is what you get is less than a fiver's worth of lunch! Price it right and people will pay the right price for it.
Finally, it must be well staffed with friendly, approachable people. It's a great help if some of those people are knowledgable when asked about the beers or items on the menu, but it's quite ok to say you'll just go and check if asked something you don't know about. You (the customer) are much more likely to go back after your first visit if you liked the people you met there the first time. Where am I going with all this? Well....there are lots of pubs that just don't get that these four things will make people come back again and again.
Fortunately for us, The Horseshoes in East Farleigh seems to have grasped all four! It's a nice, traditional feeling pub that in spite of being essentially open-plan has quite distinct feeling areas that give it a slightly rambling feel inside. There is usually a small group of regulars drinking at the bar in what is clearly the "pub" area, a lovely orangery that is the main dining area, and there are a couple of smaller, more intimate areas where two or three tables nestle amongst photographs of the area and local landmarks. There is also a patio area to the rear of the pub that overlooks the local riding school and stables.
The menu is well balanced, offering a good range of sharing platters, starters and light-bites, traditional pub classics and an up-market feeling main courses section. There is quite often a special menu available, which offers a limited choice of three or four starters and main courses at just £13.95, and offers the option to add a desert for just an extra £3. Friday night is "Fish and Fizz" night, with a promotion on English champagne and a special menu featuring four starters, then Sea Bream, Mackerel fillets, Swordfish steak or Bouillabaisse. The main menu has a range of dishes including beef rib pie, fillet steak on duck paté and toasted brioche, venison, crab cakes, home made burgers....something for everyone.
On Paul's recommendation (our host, the manager), we both had the seared scallops with chorizo with a sweet potato puree and watercress to start. Scallops are just about my favourite thing to eat and I have tried them all over the world. Let me tell you, these were amongst the best I've had. Cooked to perfection! Just a few seconds too long in the pan and they become rubbery, just a few seconds too little time in the pan and they stay slimy, so not the easiest things to cook well. I was worried that the strong flavour of the chorizo and the sweetness of the puree might overpower the scallops but to my delight they tied together beautifully.
I had hoped to sink a pint or two of Incubus with dinner, a deliciously refreshing beer from the local Hopdaemon brewery, but it was just about dead when we arrived. Fortunately I am well aware of the charms of the alternatives available, Sharp's Doombar and Harvey's Best Bitter. (Doombar every time!) Paul informed me that a new Fullers Summer Ale would be going on, so rather than order a second Doombar I waited. I'm still trying to decide if I made the right decision, as the Summer Ale was extremely light indeed, both in colour and flavour, and while it would make a great session beer it was a bit lost in the strong flavours of the meal.
For main course Dee fancied some pasta, so she ordered the mushroom and spinach linguine. Pasta is another one of those dishes that ought to be really easy to cook. I mean, everyone cooks pasta, right? Well, yes, but like the scallops, it's difficult to do it well. Dee and I both like our pasta somewhere between cooked and al-dente, and as luck would have it that's exactly what she got. And very nice it was too! I'm always a bit wary of ordering dishes that contain no meat or fish as a main course, carnivore that I am, but the linguine needed nothing more than a tiny pinch of salt. I'm not sure I would have noticed that it was a vegetarian dish if Dee hadn't told me.
Again, I went with Paul's suggestion and ordered the bouillabaisse, which is a fish soup/stew typical of Marseilles. My eyes lit up when it arrived, I could see more scallops, at least three different types of fish, mussels, olives, tomatoes, and I could smell the paprika smokiness. Perhaps with hindsight I should not have ordered this after the scallops, because both dishes were very smokey flavoured. That said, the bouillabaisse was delicious, filling, out of the ordinary...everything I look for in a dish!
In the interest of completeness we felt it was our duty to at least try the deserts, even if we were fast running out of room! It's tough sometimes, but we somehow manage to plough through! We both chose from the special menu again, Dee opting for cappuccino cheesecake, while I went for a chocolate fondant. I made the mistake of trying Dee's cheesecake after I had already had a mouthful of my dark chocolate fondant, so the delicate flavour of the coffee was completely lost on me, but Dee assures me that it was creamy and tasty. My fondant was rich and gooey, warm in the middle and served with a ball of vanilla ice-cream that cut through the intense chocolate very well.
Paul has done a great job of marketing the Horseshoes both on-line and locally. There is a thriving Facebook page and the pub has its own website too (www.thehorseshoeseastfarleigh.co.uk). Given that there are very few houses within walking distance it is testament to the hard work of the manager and staff that the place is so busy and entertains such a wide age range of customers. All four of my criteria for making a success of a pub have been well and truly met. It's a good job we don't live within easy walking distance of the Horseshoes, we might never leave.
